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(No Model.) 5 sheets sheet 1. C. H. MORGAN & K. J. SUNSTROM.

ROLLING MILL PLANT. No. 379,902. Patented Mar. 20, }888@ I u l HUI I I ii L h an M i 1 um L (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2. O. H. MORGAN & K. J. SUNSTROM.

ROLLING MILL PLANT.

No. 379,902. Patented Mar. 20, 1888.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

0. H. MORGAN & K. J. SUNSTROM.

ROLLING MILL PLANT.

No. 379,902. PatentedMar. 20, 1888.

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(N0 Mbdel.) 5 Sh'eetS-Sheet 4.

0. H. MORGAN & K. J. SUNSTROM.

ROLLING MILL PLANT.

No. 379,902. m Patented Mar. 20, 1888.

lhngrupher, Waslnngtun u c (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5,

G. H. MORGAN 81; K. J. SUNSTROM.

ROLLING MILL PLANT.

No. 379,902. Patented Mar. 20, 1888.

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NITED STATES PATENT Orrrcs.

'GHARLES H. MORGAN AND KARL J. SUNSTROH, OF \VOROESTER, MASSA-' OHUSETTS; SAID SUNSTROM ASSIGNOR TO SAID MORGAN.

ROLLING-MILL PLANT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379,902, dated March 20, 1888.

(No model.)

To (0% whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES H. IVIORGAN and KARL J. SUNSTROM, both of Worcester, in the county of 'Worcester and State of Mas sachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rollingallill Plants; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 represents a top or plan View of a rolling-mill plant embodying our improvements. Fig. 2 is a, front side view thereof with the reel-guard hereinafter described left off. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on line a, Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow a, same figure. Fig. 4 is acrosssection on line b, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a modification thereof. Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section on line 0, Fig. 1. Figs. 7 and 8 represent a plan and side view, respectively, the latter partly in section, of a reelingmachine for coiling up the wire rods as they are delivered from the last set of reducing-rolls, the reel being shown in different positions by full and dotted lines, and the appliances for removing the finished coils also being shown by dotted lines, as hereinafter more fully described. Fig. 9 is avertical section through said reeling-machine taken on line d, Fig. 7, (all the figures following Fig. 2 are shown upon an enlarged scale;) and Fig. 10 represents upon the same scale as Figs. 1 and 2 a modification of a portion of our improved plant, also hereinafter more fully described.

Our invention relates to rolling-mill plants for rolling metal from a billet or bar to a wire rod and to the reeling thereof into coils at completion. 7

It consists in the construction and relative arrangement of the various mechanisms which compose said plant, as hereinafter specified and shown, whereby the aforesaid results are effected. I

To enable others skilled in the art to which our invention appertains to more fully understand the nature and purpose thereof, we will now proceed to describe the same more in deour invention may be carried out in practice;

and as the same results may be effected by other similar constructions we reserve the right to make such modifications therein as are required under different circumstances.

In the drawings, A represents a continuous train of reducing-rolls such as is often employed in a wirerod-rolling mill. The various sets of said series of rolls are fitted to turn in suitable stationary bearings and operated in the usual way by means of power imparted from a suitable engine through the main driving-shaft B, large spur-gear 0, small spurgear D, shaft E, bevel-gears F and F, shafts G G, and pinions H, the shafts being fitted to turn in suitable bearings and the various gears secured to their respective shafts.

The part I represents part of an ordinary engine, and J a fly-wheel on the main drivingshaft B, which, being of well-known construction, require no further illustration or description.

Prior to passing between the series of rolls A the billet is partially reduced in size by passing it back and forth between a primary set of rolls, K, arranged in this instance at the end of shaft B opposite from the fiy-wheel J, and turned by said shaft. After the billet has been subjected to the required number of passes between said rolls K said billet is fed over a series of supporting and carrying rolls, 6, fitted to turn in suitable bearings in a stationary frame, f. It is then passed into a hollow star-shaped transferring device, L, consisting in this instance of four pipes, 9, projecting out radially from a four-way hub, h, having a downward projection, h, fitted to turn in a socketed or hollow support, a. In this instance three primary rolls K are shown, (see Fig. 3;) but we do not limit ourselves to this number.

A cutting-off or trimming device, M, may

be employed in connection with the aforesaid rolls 6, if desired, for cutting the billet into proper lengths or trimming the ends thereof,

as may be required, before passing the same into the transferring device L, in practice the severed sections to be fed into said transferring device being made a little shorter than the device, so that when deposited therein it will not project at either end and obstruct the proper working thereof, as hereinafter described. Ordinarily said cutting operation would be unnecessary, the billets being of the proper size and length, and the various parts of the mill constructed and arranged to produce the desired length of rods from said billets. The cutting device is in this instance arranged midway between the ends of the series of carrying-rolls e, and consists of a stationary cutter, i, fastened to frame f, and a movable cutter,j, operated past the cuttingedge of the cuttert' by means of hydraulic, steam, or other power connected therewith in any convenient and well-known manner. In practice the carrying-rolls are turned by means of suitable driving mechanism connected with their shafts 6, so that as the rear end of the billet passes from between the primary rolls K it is carried on by said rolls 6 and deposited in the rotary transferring device L.

The mechanism for operating the movable cutterj and rolls 6 may be of any well-known construction and arrangement. In this instance the cutter is represented as being operated by means of a cylinder and piston, jj,

(see Fig. 3,) and the rolls by the shaft E, through suitable belt, shaft, and gear connections for turning bevel-gears e secured to the endsof said rolls, as shown in Fig. l.

The billet having been deposited in the transferring device L, as previously described, said device is turned onefourth (i) of a revolution, so as to bring said billet in line with the train of reducing-rolls A. A rod or piston, k, is now moved forward in line with the billet,which, coming against the end thereof, pushes it forward along theinterior of the device Land its forward end in between the first set of the train of rolls A. Said set of rolls, now gripping the end of the billet, draws it forward and passes it on to the next set, and so on continuously from one set to another through the whole train, at the same time reducing it, so that when it issues from between the last set or finish rolls of said train it has been rolled down and extended into the size and form ofa wire rod, which as it leaves the train of rolls is guided onto and coiled upon a suitable reel, N or N.

Two reels are preferably employed,as shown in Fig. l, for the reason that while the rod is being delivered and coiled upon one the rod previously coiled may be removed from the other, thereby, as will at once be apparent, greatly facilitating the operation of the machine and correspondingly increasing the production thereof.

Theoperation of conveying the billet from the primary set of rolls K to the continuous train A is also facilitated by the employment withdrawn from the device the second one has been deposited therein preparatory to said device being turned to bring the latter billet in line with the train of rolls A, to be'pushed forward, as previously described.

Hydraulic or steam power is preferably employed for operating the piston or rod k, as indicated in the drawings; but any other con.- venient and well-known means may be used for the purpose, if desired. A guide, Z, is also preferably employed for guiding the-billets from the transferring device to the first set of rolls of the train A, and between each set of rolls of said train, and also for directing the finished rods from the last set of rolls of said train to the reels upon which they are coiled. We have shown the latter result as being accomplished in this instance by means of a swivel device, m,which in practice is provided with suitable means for operating the same, so as to direct the rods into one and then anotherof the conducting-tn bes n, interposed be tween said device and the reel or reels upon which said rods are tobe deposited and coiled. The transferring device L may be turned by hand, by power in the manner indicated in Fig. 3, or in any other suitable wellknown way. In practice hydraulic or steam power is preferably employed. Many different kinds of reeling-machines may be employed in carrying out our invention in practice, and we therefore do not limit ourselves to the construction and arrangement shown in the last three figures of the drawings. For the purpose of convenience we'have shown in said figures a single reeling-machine, and will describe the same as such, instead of the double reeling-machine shown in Fig. 1, the construction being substantially alike in duplicate. The reel is mounted on the outer end of ashaft, 0, fitted to turn in suitable bearings in rocking frame 19, having bearings at each side in the upper ends of supporting-standards gq. Said shaft 0 is turned by one or the other of the pulleys r r (one being a tight and the. other a loose pulley) through the shaft 8, bevelgear t, and bevel-gear u, the pulley and bevelgear if being secured to shaft 8 and gear to to shaft 0. The shaft 8 is fitted to turn in one of .the hubs p of frame 12, a central opening being formed therein for the purpose.

While the rod is being delivered to the reel, as previously described, said reel occupies a horizontal and its shaft a vertical position, as indicated by full lines in Figs. '8 and .9, and

are turned with sufficient speed to take up the rod as fast as delivered to said reel; but as soon as the coil is completed thereon the reel is stopped and swung over one-fourth of a revolution into a vertical position, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 8, when said coil may be readily removed therefrom by means of a pair of tongs, v, and crane w, as is also shown by dotted lines, or in any othersnitableand convenient manner. The reel is shown as being thus swung over in this instance by means of a steam or hydraul icpiston, m,operat ing through a link, .90, a crank, 4v", secured to one of the hubs of frame 1). In practice the reel is preferably arranged to be stopped automatically, after each coil is completed thereon, by means of any suitable and wellknown mechanism combined therewith. -As the same constitutes no part of our invention,it will be unnecessary to illustrate or describe such mechanism.

The part marked t represents a guard for confining the rod within proper limits while being coiled in case said rod is broken or flies out of the reel from any cause, and thereby protecting the workmen from injury. Said guard is fastened to frame 19, and occupies at all times the same relative position to the reel.

Although the guard is of especial advantage for the above reason, it is not essential, and may therefore be employed or not, as desired.

We make no claim herein to the particular form of reel shown and described, as the same forms no necessary part of the invention, but is illustrated by way of example only.

From the foregoing description it,is obvious that a very perfect and effective rollingmill plant is produced by the application of our invention to practice. We are enabled not only to increase the production, but also to improve the quality thereof over many of the old rolling-mill plants.

By the adoption of a transferring device, L, such as hereinbefore described, we are also enabled to obtain a convenient and expeditious conveyance of the billets, while at the same time in a measure protecting them from direct exposure to the surrounding atmosphere, which, as is well known, is ofespecialadvantage at this point in the reducing process, for the reason that in the first stages of'reduction the billet, being fed forward at a low rate of speed, is liable to become cooled to such an extent as to impair the subsequent rolling thereof by the continuous or other mill employed.

To facilitate the confinement of the heat within the transferring device, the pipes g thereof-may be made with an outer and inner casing having a space between filled with as bestus or other non-conductor of heat,as shown at Z in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings.

In case only a partial protection of the billet is required, an open trough, such as shown in Fig. 5, may be used in lieu of the tubes 9 of the transferring device; and, if desired, our improved plant may be so constructed and arranged as to dispense with either the carrying rolls and their operating mechanism or the transferring device between the primary set of rolls K and the continuous train of rolls A- that is, only one or the other of the same be ing used at the same time, as pointed out in the claims.

In the modification, Fig. 10, the only essential changes consist in arranging the primary rolls K at right angles to shaft B, the carrying-rolls parallel with said shaft, to correspond with the above change, and in constructing the transferring device L so as to rotate vertically instead of horizontally, as in the former instance, being arranged to turn with a horizontal shaft, a, fitted to turn in suitable bearings and operated in any well-known way. The cutting-off or trimming device M, as well as the mechanism for operating the carryingrolls, is also in this ins ance not shown.

WVhat we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A rolling-mill plant comprising a primary set of reducing-rolls for partially reducing the metal billet or bar, a series of sup porting and carrying rolls arranged to turn in suitable stationary bearings, and having a device, substantially as described, for cutting or trimming the billets combined therewith, a rotary transferring device fitted to turn in a socketed support, or its equivalent, for conveying the billets from the aforesaid carryingrolls to a position in line with a continuous train of reducing-rolls, means, substantially as described, for pushing the billet along said transferring device in between the first set of rolls of said train, the continuous train of rolls aforesaid, a reelingmachine for taking up the rods and coiling the same as fast as delivered from the finishing-rolls of said train, and means, substantially as shown and described, for supporting and operating the various parts composing the aforesaid plant.

2. In a rolling-mill plant, a series of horizontal carryingrolls arranged and having means for turning the same, substantially as shown and described, and also provided with a cutter or trimmer device, and a rotary transferring device arranged to receive the billets from said carrying-rolls, bot-h interposed between a set of primary reducing-rolls and a continuous train of rolls, the carrying rolls being adapted to receive the billets from the set of primary rolls, and the transferring device to deliver them to the continuous train, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a rolling-mill plant, a rotary transferring device arranged between a primary set of reducing-rolls, K, and a continuous train of reducing-rolls, A, and having means, as described, for pushing the billet along said transferring device in between the first set of rolls of said train, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a rolling-mill plant, a series of sup-- porting and carrying rolls, and a rotary transferring device arranged between a primary set of reducing-rolls, K, and a continuous trainof reducingrolls, A, or their equivalent,- said earryingrolls being adapted to receive the billet from the primary set of rolls and deliver it to the transferring device, and the latter having means, as described, for pushing said billet along the interior thereof and in between the first set of rolls of said train, substantially as and for the'purpose set forth.

5. The combination of the cutting off or trimming device M with the series of supporting'and carrying rolls 6, fitted to turn in stationary bearings, and operated substantially as set forth.

Witnesses:

ALBERT A. BARKER, WALTER B. NoURsE. 

